Oasis for the Indigent

Until recently in Colorado Springs, a homeless person emerging from heart surgery would almost certainly end up back on the streets before she was healed. Not surprisingly, she’d likely end up back in the hospital within days or weeks. And she may need to return multiple times, with infections and complications, due to a lack of follow-up consultation.

“When a patient leaves here, and is homeless, you do lose contact with them,” says Connie Cassani-Beard, a licensed clinical social worker at Memorial Health System. “You can’t call and see how they’re doing.”

Local physician’s assistant Greg Morris is aiming to keep tabs on — and do more for — people like this. This month, he received 501(c)(3) nonprofit status for his fledgling program, Ascending to Health Respite Care.